had promised to
give.

"I came in here about two months ago for the first time this voyage to
obtain provisions and water," began Captain Rounds, "and as none of us
understood the language of the people, I shipped a couple of natives who
spoke English very fairly to act as interpreters. Besides having been
to sea on board other whalers, they were, I thought, likely to prove
useful hands. Everything went on in a satisfactory way while I lay
here. The natives who came on board behaved themselves well, and King
George, their chief, seemed a very decent sort of fellow, and was as
honest in his dealings as I could expect. I had made it a rule when I
came out to these parts never to trust many of my people ashore at a
time among the heathen natives without having some of the principal
natives on board as hostages, or so well-behaved and friendly did these
appear that I should otherwise not have hesitated to let half my crew
land at a time, feeling confident that they would be well treated. Thus
it was that I every evening at sundown fired off my guns, and kept a
strict watch during the night. I did this, not from any fear of being
attacked, but that I considered it prudent to keep to the rule I had
laid down, and to maintain discipline on board. You'll see that I was
fortunate in doing so. I parted on good terms with King George and his
people without having any reason to alter the favourable opinion I had
formed of them, taking the two native interpreters with me. From the
way I treated them they became very friendly and much attached to me.
We had been at sea for some time, and had caught three or four whales,
each of which cost us, perhaps, more than the usual trouble to take.
The two natives, who go by the names of Jackey and Tubbs, seemed very
much struck by the exertions we had to make to secure the whales, and
one day they came to me and said that they could put me up to the means
of filling the ship with perfect ease if I would follow their advice. I
asked them what they meant. They then told me that a ship lay sunk in
their harbour loaded with casks of oil, and that they knew the exact
spot where she went down. I then learnt from them the following
particulars.

"You, Hawkins, well knew Barber, who commanded the _Harriet_, of London,
as you sailed together as mates with old Captain Newton in the
_Felicity_. I met Barber when I first came out to the Pacific, and was
wondering that I had never since hea